Convertible automobile body



Aug. 10, 1954 H. E. HELSER 2,686,075

CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOBILE BODY Filed Sept. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. HARRY E. HELSER ATTORNEYS Aug. 10, 1954 H. E. HELSER 2,686,076 CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOBILE BODY Filed Sept. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARRY E. HELSER ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 10, 1954 P PATENT or n ce 2,686,078

convnurmm. nuromonme new! Harry E; Helser, 'zanesvilla, Ghio application September a, 1932;.SwhlsNbJil8g261 12 Claims (01. 296 -63)" .Mv invention relates to= a convertible automobile: body-:- It. has to' do; more-particulamt, with an automobi'le body ofthe. open two-sector touring. type whichcan be converted to a body of. the one" seat-or sportsroadster type.

At pnesent, there:- ismanufactured at. two seat open type car body, the. rear sea-tv being fairlyclose to= the fronttsea-t. These bodies are called froadstersf or convertibles but aremoresimilar to the old-fashioned touring car since they have two seats. The rear seat is a. convenience but detracts from the sporty orstreamlined appearance of the body especially when thetop isnotinplace.

In order to give the body amore streamlinedand sporty appearance when the rear seat is not) being used, I provide meansfor' covering the space occupied by the rear seat: toprovide a continuous surface sweeping from just. behind the front seat to'therear of the car.

To cover the space occupied by'the rear. seat when desired, I provide a slidin panel or l-id' associated with such. space. This panel is. so mounted that itcan be moved easily to an outot-the-way position in the rear trunk of the car. where it will not be seen and. on which position therear seat will. be exposed for use. The panel is preferably moved between its two positions by electreshydraulic means;

. The preferred. embodiment of my invention is. illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding partsand wherein:

Figure-.1 is-a phantomvertical section view of aniautomobile body constructed according to my invention showing. the slidin panel in its rear wardmost position. within the trunk space.

Figure- 2- is a similar view showing the sliding panelv in its forwardmost position covering the rearseaa.

Figure 3' is. a phantom horizontal sectional view showing. the panel in an intermediate position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of Figure 5- of a roller and associated track used in mounting the operating carriage or the slidingpanel.

-Figure-5 is a side view or men-t shownin Figure-4'.

6; isa side elevational view of anotherroller and track arrangement used in mounting. the'slidingpanel.

Eigure Z is a sectional view taken along line- L-totFieurefi.

is a sideview 01?. abraceusedin mounte lag thesliding panel;

the roller arrange I nod-.24 is as'econdrod Figure 9 is: a sectional view taken along. line 99*9? of. Figure 1.0 showing; another" roller-arrange meritused: in; connection with the movable camriageoflthe operating mechanism of therpaneli.

Figure 10- is-a sideeleva-tiena-l: view of; thestrucztune ofFig ure 9.

With. reference to the drawings, in. Figures 1, Zand 35,1 haveillustrated schematically an automobile body with which my inventionamay bees sociated. This body is provided with the usual fronts-seat. Ill and areas seat ['2 which immediately behind. the; seat I- It. Sweeping rearwardly from the; upper edge; ot the back 13.01". the seatv ta isthe-rear deck Hiv ofthebodv. The bodvsox far. described and. illustrated is for example-only;

and. it should baunderstoodthatmy invention-v is notlimi-ted to this; particular type of body. When the rearseat of the car to betus-edl. my sliding; panel or lid [.5 will be in the positionshown. in Figure 1 where the space occupiedby therear seat l2. will be: completely uncovered. and: the panel will be beneath the deck :4 behind the back Id of the seat. l2. VWrene therea-r seat. is not to. be used, the panel t5 will be moved intd covering, relationship: to therear seat as shown in Figure 2, being flush with the deck. M and. forminga continuation thereof.

. The. lid: on panel? k5 is in the form of a plate or. metalof substantially the same thickness; as the metal of the deck M. For sliding the: lid or panel: I 5, it provided at its; forwardendwith: atpa-irof dependingbrackets l-fi shown in Figures 1- tc 3 and illustrated in detail in- Figures: 6*. and 7 These; brackets may be.- welded or otherwisesecured to the lower surface: of the panel l5 adjacent its forward edge and each. carries. a roller. ll on its lower end: The rollers H' operate channel; tracks- [8 which are welded or otherwise securedto thesides-of the car body. Thesetracks andccoperating. rollers are so shaped as to aid in. preventing side movement or rattlin of the panel. L5; The: rear of the panel I5; is. provided with a: pair 01-: rearwardly and downwardlyentending braces l9 ,;one of which is. shown more in:- detai-l in; Figure 8; As shown best inFigures 1 and 2,. each brace: l-9 has. its. upper end secured to the. lower. surface of the. panel |5- adjacent the rear edge thereof. The lower ends: of these-braces tS- are provided, with pivot clamp members 20: which rotatably receive a transversely extending rod 2 I: which is shown best in Figure 3.. This rod- 24 is part. of: a movable; carriage- 2-1- and has its ends; rigidly secured to longitudinally extending roller-carrying side bars 23-; Rearw-ardly of. the 24 of. the carriage 2: 2 which vided with an upwardly and forwardly directed cam-section 21. g I I When the rear seat I2 is uncovered, the 'carriage 22 will be in its rearwardmost position as V shown in Figure 1, with the rollers 25 thereof adjacent the rear ends of the tracks 26. The

rollers ll, carried. at the forward edge of the panel 15, will be at the rear ends of the tracks l 8.

wardly. Furthermore, as the forward rollers move into the cam-track sections 21 and the carriage 23 tilts upwardly, the rollers 31 will rock about the rod 24 and will not interfere with this tilting movement or the reverse tilting as the carriage starts its rearward movement.

It is preferred to move the lever 35 by electrohydraulic means. This means may be the usual switch and pump unit 38 which is commonly provided in automobiles for operating the window mechanism and other mechanisms thereof. This unit 38 may be actuated by a switch lever 39 on the dash. The unit 38 will control a hydraulic jack 40. The rear end of this jack 40 is pivoted at 4| to the car body and its forward I end is pivoted at 42 to the lever 35 intermediate To cause the panel l5 to move to the position; J

shown in Figure 2 in covering relationship to the rear seat [2, the carriage 22 will be moved for-" wardly along the tracks 26. This will cause the forwardmost rollers 25 to eventually reach the cam-track sections 21 and as the foi'wardmost rollers 25 thereof enter the sections 21, the rear edge of the panel [8 will be swung flush with the deck portion. The tracks 18 extend from beneath deck H to a point directly behind front (seat H) in line upwardly slightly so that as panel i5 slides forwardly from under deck [4 its forward edge gradually rises. Then as forwardmost rollers 25 reach cam-sections 2'! its rear edge is suddenly lifted to the level of deck 14. The rearwardmost rollers 25 will eventually occupy a position at the junction of the track sections 21 with the main track portions, as shown in Figure 2. Each brace 19 is provided with a rearwardly extending finger 28 which carries an adjustable stop screw 29. When the panel I5 is in the position shown in Figure 2, the stop screws 29 will contact the lower surface of the deck l4 so that the rear edge of panel l5 will be exactly flush with the forward edge of the deck Hi. When the carriage is moved rearwardly the forwardmost rollers 25 will quickly move out of camsections 21 and will cause the rear edge of panel IE to drop so it will quickly clear the forward edge of deck [4.

In order to swing the back 13 of the rear seat [2 forwardly when the panel l5 moves forwardly a connecting rod 30 is pivoted to the lower surface of the panel I5 substantially at the midpoint between its front and rear edges. The forward end of the rod 30 is connected by an adjustable sleeve connection 32 and pivot 33 to the rear side of the seat back 13 at a point spaced below its upper edge. to the seat portion by means of a stabilizing hinge structure 34. It will be apparent that as the panel l5 moves forwardly, the seat back 13 will be swung forwardly and downwardly into contact with the seat portion as shown in Figure 2 although in this figure the rod 38 and braces [9 are shown not to scale. On the other hand, when the panel I5 is moved rearwardly, the rod 30 will serve to pull the seat back lsup'wardly and rearwardly to the position shown in Figure 1.

For moving the carriage 23 between its two positions, I provide the transversely extending lever 35 which is swingable in a horizontal plane,

being pivoted to one side of the body at 36. The

free end of this lever 35, as shown best in Figures This link' 3, 9, and 10, is pivoted to a link 35. 38 carries a pair of channel rollers 31 which embrace the rod 24 of the carriage 23. It will be apparent that swinging movement The back 13 is hinged of the lever 35 will move the carriage 23 forwardly or rear-'- its ends.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided a novel arrangement whereby the rear seat of the car body can be exposed for use or can be covered to give a better appearance to the body. The arrangement can be operated from the driver's seat. The cooperating tracks and rollers will prevent both lateral and vertical movement of the panel 15. Furthermore, the rod 30 will aidin preventing vertical movement of the panel I5.

Various other advantages will be apparent.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A convertible car body of the open type having front and rear seats with a rear deck behind the rear seat and including a panel mounted on the body for movement between a position under the rear deck behind the rear seat and a forward position over the space occupied by the rear seat, said rear seat being provided with a back portion which is hinged to the seat for swinging movement from its upstanding position to a lower forward position over the seat portion and the back being connected to the panel by connecting rods which are pivoted to the panel and to the back so that as the panel is moved forwardly the seat back will be swinging out of the path of movement of the panel and as the panel is moved rearwardly the seat back will be moved again to its normal upstanding position, means for mounting the panel for the indicated movement and for supporting it in a forward position flush with the rear deck so that it will be a continuation thereof, said means comprising tracks on the car body and rollers carried by the panel which cooperate with 'the tracks, said tracks including a pair of upper tracks which extend from beneath the rear deck forwardly along the space occupied by the rear seat and a pair of lower tracks which are'dis posed at a lower level beneath the rear deck, said rollers including rollers carried by the forward edge of the panel and operating in the upper tracks and downwardly and'rearwardly extending braces on the rear edge of the panel and connected to rollers which operate on the lower tracks, said last-named rollers being mounted on a carriage which moves along the lower trialcks,

riage having forward and rearward rollers spacedfroni'each other, said lower tracksbei'ng provided withupwardly and forwardly directed cam-sec" tions at their forward ends into which the for ward rollers" of the carriage will move as the panel nears its forwardmost position, said car ri'age beingpivotallyconnected to the lower end of said braces, said moving means comprising alever pivoted to the car body for forward and rearward movement in a horizontal plane, said lever being connected to the carriage for rela tive movement transversely thereof, and the carriage being connected to the lever for relative tilting movement.

2. A car body according to claim 1 wherein the braces extend below the rear deck when the panel is in its forwardmost position, and fingers connected to the braces and carrying adjustable screws which engage the lower surface of the deck at its forward edge.

3. A convertible car body according to claim 2 wherein a jack is provided for moving said lever, said jack being pivoted to the car body and to the lever.

4. A convertible car body according to claim 3 including electro-hydrau1ic means operable from the dash for controlling said jack.

5. A convertible car body of the open type having front and rear seats with a rear deck behind the rear seat and including a movable panel, said seat including a movable back portion, means for supporting the panel for movement between a position under the rear deck behind the rear seat and a forward position over the space occupied by the rear seat, means for moving the panel between such positions, and a connection between said back portion and the panel so that as the panel is moved forwardly the seat back will be swung out of the path of movement of the panel and as the panel is moved rearwardly the seat back will be moved again to its normal upstanding position.

6. A convertible car body according to claim 5 wherein the seat back is hinged to the seat for swinging movement from its upstanding position to a lower forward position over the seat portion and said connecting means comprises a connecting rod which is pivoted to the panel and to the back.

7. A convertible car body according to claim 6 wherein said means for supporting the panel for movement will support it in a forward position flush with the rear deck so that it will be a continuation thereof.

8. A convertible car body according to claim '7 wherein the supporting means for the panel includes tracks on the car body and rollers carried by the panel which cooperate with the tracks.

9. A convertible car body according to claim 8 wherein the tracks include a pair of upper tracks which extend from beneath the rear deck forwardly along the space occupied by the rear seat and a pair of lower tracks which are disposed at a lower level beneath the rear deck, rollers carried by the forward edge of the panel and operating in the upper tracks, and downwardly and rearwardly extending braces on the rear edge of the panel and connected to rollers which operate in the lower tracks.

10. A convertible car body according to claim 9 wherein the last-named rollers are mounted on a. carriage which moves along the lower tracks, and wherein the means for moving the panel is connected to said carriage.

11. A convertible car body according to claim 10 wherein the carriage has forward and rearward rollers spaced from each other, said lower tracks being provided with upwardly and forwardly directed cam-sections at their forward ends into which the forwardmost rollers will move as the panel nears its forwardmost position.

12. A convertible car body according to claim 11 wherein the carriage tilts as the forwardmost rollers thereof move into said cam-sections, said carriage being pivotally connected to the lower ends of said braces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,712,562 Jefiers May 14, 1929 1,907,662 Pinto May 9, 1933 1,956,616 Holtom May 1, 1934 2,013,314 Metz Sept. 3, 1935 2,111,885 Cambessedes Mar. 22, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 808,881 France Nov. 24, 1936 

